Phase change ink imaging products encompass a wide variety of imaging devices, such as ink jet printers, facsimile machines, copiers, and the like, that are configured to utilize phase change ink to form images on recording media. Some of these devices use phase change ink in a solid form, referred to as solid ink sticks. Imaging devices that utilize solid ink sticks are typically provided with feed channels. Ink sticks are inserted into the feed channels through insertion openings and then urged by one or more drive members, gravity, or a combination thereof in a feed direction toward melting devices located at one end (i.e., the melt ends) of the channels where the ink sticks are melted to a liquid ink suitable for jetting onto recording media.
Each feed channel has an insertion area or region where ink sticks are received after passing through the corresponding insertion opening. To enable insertion of ink sticks into the feed channels, drive members, such as push blocks, are retracted to a rearward position beyond the insertion regions of the channels to provide clearance for ink sticks to be inserted into the insertion regions of the feed channels in front of the push blocks. After ink stick insertion has been completed, the push blocks are moved from the retracted position to apply an urging force to the trailing end of the last ink stick inserted into the channels. If there is space in front of the last ink stick, the urging force causes the ink stick to move forward in the channel until the ink stick abuts the trailing end of the previously inserted ink stick or moves forward until the ink stick impinges on the melting device located at the melt end of the channel if no other ink sticks are in the channel.
If the column of ink in a channel extends far enough from the melt end of the channel toward the insertion region, the next ink stick inserted into the channel may still protrude into the insertion region of the channel after being abutted against the trailing end of the column, preventing ink sticks from being inserted into the channel, at least temporarily. The position of the insertion opening relative to the melt end of a channel therefore controls the number of ink sticks capable of being loaded into the channel at any given time in these systems. Consequently, the insertion openings of the channels are typically located as far away from the melt ends of the channels as possible to maximize the number of ink sticks capable of being loaded into the channels.
In some imaging device configurations, however, the lengths of the feed channels may be limited because the area most distant from the melt ends of the channels may be inaccessible for ink stick insertion. Consequently, the insertion openings for the feed channels of the ink loader in these devices have to be located at a location that shortens the potential length of the feed channel. Thus, the number of ink sticks (and the amount of ink) that may otherwise be loaded into the channels is decreased. A similar situation exists if there is an opportunity to increase channel length and thus ink capacity.